


Under The Stars

by mansikka



Series: A Weekend Away [1]
Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Campfires, Desert, Fluff, Frottage, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2019-04-24
Packaged: 2020-01-23 13:31:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18550771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mansikka/pseuds/mansikka
Summary: Michael takes Alex to his favourite spot in the desert.





	Under The Stars

"I need to go to work."

Alex _says_ the words but doesn't give any indication that he means them. His fingers are still shoved through Michael's hair as they stand on the porch of his cabin making him increasingly later for work. Michael's day ahead is far easier, more relaxed through fixing things whenever people show up and other odd jobs, but Alex should have left fifteen minutes ago. Ideally thirty. He doesn't even look concerned about being late when he pulls back.

"Isn't that like, the fifth time you've told me that already?" Michael asks, pulling him in by the lapel of his uniform to kiss him again. Alex sags against him kissing back, only interrupting that kiss for how hard he's smiling.

"I wasn't counting."

"Well. I was."

"You want to get rid of me?" Alex asks, pretending to pout which Michael will have none of, kissing it from his mouth. _Really_ kissing it from his mouth. Alex laughs as he clutches on to his forearms catching his breath, and it's impossible for Michael not to echo his smile right back.

"I want you, to go to work, so that you're finished as soon as you can make it. So we can start our weekend."

"Which you still have barely told me anything about," Alex points out, arms in a loose grip around his waist.

Michael smiles, shaking his head. They've been planning this weekend together for a couple of weeks now, since it's been a while since they last had a break. And he wants this to be _fun_ for Alex, as well as revealing to him; revealing about some things about _him_ he's never shared too much of, anyway. Not all of it. Even if Alex does know him better than anyone else ever has. "You'll find out tonight."

"If you're not even going to tell me what to _pack_ —"

"I'll pack you some clothes," Michael says, nuzzling against his cheek. "I have everything else."

He has his own _key_  to Alex's cabin after all. Michael spends more time here at Alex's now even than in his own Airstream, which is especially reserved for nights when even Alex can't clear his head. Which are rare ones, and ones where he never lasts until morning anyway. Why would he want to sleep in there alone when he could be with Alex in his bed?

"Okay. I'll message when I'm leaving," Alex says, slotting their hands together. How this simple kind of gesture still leaves Michael feeling _giddy_ for where they are now together in their relationship, he isn't sure. But it does, and he is, and, well. These days, he wouldn't have things any other way. Any and every _sappy gesture_ Michael can make he will do for Alex. It's worth it every time just to see him smile.

"I'll be here."

"I'm looking forward to it. Wherever we end up."

"You'll see soon enough," Michael says, hugging him and hoping Alex won't find his plans stupid.

Alex kisses him again then nods towards his car, and Michael watches until the car disappears in a mist of dirt. He drains the last of the coffee he'd been drinking before saying goodbye then goes back inside, already planning his favorite clothes on Alex as he packs him an overnight bag.

* * *

"You're gonna think this is stupid," Michael says for what might be the third, or even fourth time since they set off. The thing is, he knows it isn't, knows Alex wouldn't find what he has planned stupid, even if it was. But on the short drive from Alex's cabin to Michael's very own spot in the desert that he _used_ to consider his way home, Michael doubts himself over and over. Even as Alex clings loyally to his hand as he drives.

"I promise you. I won't."

"You can't know that," Michael says, and because it's dark, and it's _them_ , and he doesn't even care if anyone sees anyway, he raises their hands to kiss the back of Alex's, loving the way it makes him smile.

"I can. I do."

Michael squeezes his fingers, pleads that the tent he's set up and everything in it is still there and intact, and undisturbed.

When they arrive Michael sags in relief for seeing the tent there complete with the small campfire he's prepared for lighting. He sneaks a glance at Alex and knows further relief for seeing him smile. He turns in his seat draping one arm over the back of Alex's shoulders, and reaches out to squeeze his thigh.

"I thought… you, and me. This tent. Tonight. Here, under the stars."

"This is perfect," Alex says, looking at him so full of _love_ Michael gets lost in it; like he has done so many hundreds of times.

"Yeah?"

"Really. Though I would have helped you set all this up if you'd asked."

"Wanted it to be a surprise," Michael says, shrugging, nodding for him to get out of the car. He all but leaps out in his excitement for the start of their weekend together. Alex nudges against his arm when they reach the back of his truck.

"It is. Come here," Alex says softly as Michael goes to reach for their bags. Michael steps closer closing his eyes and sagging against Alex as he cups his face and kisses him. He wraps his arms around Alex's waist so they're flush together, turning so he can lean back against the truck.

There is nothing, and no one, who ever makes him feel like Alex does. Michael can be put back together just by Alex taking his hand, when seconds earlier it might have felt like his very essence was shattering apart. And when he kisses him like this, slow, and claiming, like he is _his_ and intends to savor their kisses, Michael knows nothing but _peace_. It's addictive, and grounding, and Michael wants more of it. Always. As much as he can get.

Alex sighs against him when they pull back, tucking his face into Michael's neck as they hug. It's a sound Michael has cataloged like he's done for so many things related to Alex. That sigh says Alex feels exactly as he does, that _he_ grounds _him_ and makes him whole, just as much as Alex does him. It's the most freeing of feelings; all the agony and anguish and _years_ when they have wrecked one another over and over have led to this. And while Michael still feels the pain of all those times they parted, maybe every one of them was necessary to bring them here.

"You know," Alex says, getting a kiss to his neck before standing back, "the last time I was in a tent in the middle of the desert it… didn't go so well for me."

Michael's heart thuds, his stomach twisting into a painful knot, all the insensitivity of his little plan now crushing him, making him want to shrink into himself. Bombs and high pitched screeching and flashes of heat and light bombard Michael with the return of a nightmare he keeps having, of how Alex lost his leg. "Alex—"

"No," Alex says, his eyebrows raising, "no. Michael, I didn't mean it like _that_ —"

"But you—"

Alex kisses him quiet, shaking his head as he does, fingertips sliding up his neck to slot behind his ears as he presses all the reassurance he can into him. He drops his forehead against Michael's when he's finished, both of them breathless when they part, then shakes his head again when Michael is brave enough to look. "Believe me. This, already, is a far better memory."

"I didn't mean to—"

"It's perfect," Alex insists, staring at him so there is no way Michael can't see the sincerity of what he feels. "Really."

He still feels a _little_ stupid. But Michael rests his forehead on Alex's shoulder anyway then nudges for him to move, turning to grab their bags.

"I'll take mine," Alex says holding his hand out, tilting his head to the cooler still in the truck. Michael drags and tucks it under his arm once he's swung the other bag over his shoulder. They walk together the few steps needed, Michael dropping the cooler down by the campfire and taking both their bags to put inside the tent. He has only ducked his head in for seconds and yet when he glances over his shoulder Alex is already starting the fire, far quicker than he ever would have. At least by _hand_.

"You must know a thing or two about this, huh?" Michael says as he rounds on him, watching his face illuminated by the already-crackling fire. He looks at peace, and relaxed, and the last residual anger at himself for this insensitive choice for this evening is gone.

"I could probably make you a passable squirrel burger," Alex says, smiling though not looking up. Though when he does he laughs, and Michael quickly reins in the disgusted look on his face.

"Seriously?" Michael asks belatedly, which earns him a wry look. He doesn't want to know, so instead pushes the images Alex has created for him from his thoughts and pops the lid on the cooler, pulling out two beers. He puts them back on the cooler lid intending on folding out the chairs he's brought with them but Alex shakes his head, grabbing the pile of blankets from the truck and laying them out in front of the campfire in a perfect rectangle.

Michael watches as Alex sits, dropping to his knees and rolling to sit beside him. He copies Alex when he starts to unlace his boots, pulling off his own along with his socks and sinking his toes into the sand. Alex reaches for their beers and hands him one, clinking their bottles together, then moving so he can lie on his side on the blankets and making room for Michael to do the same.

"So how was today? You didn't say."

"Same old," Michael says, shrugging, already having put the week behind him. It hasn't been a bad week at all. But the weekend ahead with Alex is the _only_ thing he wants in his mind. "You?"

"Same old," Alec agrees, closing his eyes momentarily then snapping them open, as though he too is clearing his head. "So. Tell me about this place."

"Not much to tell," Michael says immediately even though it isn't true. Alex waits patiently for him to find his words, shuffling just enough so that their legs are touching. "I used to come here. A lot. Slept here a bit back in high school in my truck when things were bad in whatever place I was staying. Hell, I had the Airstream parked here often enough."

"You felt… closer here?" Alex guesses briefly looking towards the sky. Alex _gets_ him, without him barely having to say a word. How can Michael not repeatedly fall in love with that?

"Exactly. It's… calming. When I was a kid, I might've had these stupid ideas about people coming _back_ for me—"

"That isn't stupid," Alex quickly tells him, soft and supportive as he always is of him. He smiles in encouragement, drinking his beer as he waits for Michael to keep speaking.

"Anyway. Even when I stopped letting myself even _dream_ that would happen, I… out here, it was like I could breathe. Like I couldn't anywhere else." Which isn't entirely true. Michael has always found breathing when with Alex so much easier; even when they've been breaking each other's hearts. Which says a lot about how he's found his _home_ within this person stretched out in front of him making him feel whole just for his smile. Alex gets it without needing further explanation. Michael knows without ever having to ask that he feels the same about _him_.

Alec watches him drink before snagging the bottle from his fingers and pressing it into the sand beside them along with his own. He presses a hand to Michael's stomach as he leans in to kiss him, slowly sweeping a path up. The feel of his fingers beginning to curl through his hair closes Michael's eyes for him, that anchoring feeling of _Alex_ like nothing else he could ever feel.

"I wish things had been different for you," Alex whispers, nudging his top lip against Michael's.

"Not like I don't wish the same for you."

"True. But now, all I can picture is you sat out here alone, in the dark, cold. Looking up at that sky and feeling like you didn't have anyone in the whole world. I hate that," Alex adds, which pricks tears in Michael's eyes. Alex loves him so _much_ ; Michael knows it's going to take an entire lifetime to show him all that love back.

"Not like I didn't think of you doing similar when you were in Baghdad, or Iraq, or all those other places I… all those places."

Alex nods, dropping his gaze as he swirls his thumb in reassurance behind his ear. But then he's smiling, rolling back just enough to get a hand into his jean pocket and tossing his wallet down between them. He opens it one-handed, sliding out a photo that he smiles at before passing to Michael.

This photo is _old_. It's of the two of them when they were seventeen, in one of those rare perfect moments of happiness between them when they were kids. Michael thinks he can still feel the press of the Polaroid in his hand—his good one. And he can still feel Alex in his arms as they'd posed for the perfect _selfie_ ; long before selfies were even a thing.

"Why'd you keep this?" Michael asks, studying the photograph. He wishes he could tell the person smiling back at him that trouble was coming, but that it would be worth it in the end. Even if it took them so long to get there.

Alex licks his lips, doubt making his brow furrow. He nods towards the photograph and rests his hand on Michael's waist. "I took that with me. That's why it's cut like that, so I could… fit it in a wallet, or something."

Michael's ears are buzzing. He shakes his head convinced he's misheard. "You took this with you? When you… when you were gone?"

"I did."

"But… why?" Michael asks, still not sure he's hearing him. "We were… Alex, we were a _mess_ when you left. And the whole time you were gone."

They saw each other over the years, every single time Alex came back. Michael always told himself each time would be the last but he couldn't keep away. He never wanted to, not really, but they were so complicated back then. How could he have ever imagined how they would have become _this_ now?

"That doesn't change how I felt about you," Alex says, tucking his fingers beneath Michael's shirt on his hip. "I still needed the reminder of… I guess I needed the reminder of _home_. And that was _you_."

His ears are still ringing, and it's a little hard to breathe. He watches Alex slot the photo back in and toss his wallet to the side, then closes his eyes as Alex kisses him again, hand slipping back beneath his shirt. He'd meant to bring Alex here to share things about _himself_ , and Alex gives him _this_? Michael is shaking for it and it's stupid, foolish to be this overwhelmed. Alex just kisses him through it whispering loving reassurances until he has calmed.

"Are you okay?" Alex whispers. Michael turns his head quickly to get a kiss to his palm before he pulls his hand from his cheek, laughing at himself as he smiles.

"Yeah. Just… you really know how to throw a guy."

"Well," Alex says, pretending to glance down at his leg, "I mean, _sure_. I still _can_ —"

"Not like _that_. Not _actually_."

"I didn't mean to. I just... I love you," Alex says, shrugging, as though his words are the easiest in the world.

Michael smiles, because it's easier that way to prevent his silly tears. "Love you too, Alex. You know I always have."

Alex smiles back at him full of pride, and even _wonder_ , Michael thinks. Even after all this time together, it's still a shock sometimes that Alex feels that way about him. He backhands his eyes and laughs it off, pretending to prod Alex in the chest.

"We've been here _five minutes_ , Alex. You can't be making me cry like that _already_."

"Oh. I didn't know we had to keep to a _schedule_."

"Well—"

Alex kisses him quiet, smiling against Michael's mouth. Michael's breath is still shuddering from him but it evens out for their kisses. Alex nudges until Michael starts to roll back, and there is a giggling tussle to keep them on the blanket away from the sand. Alex settles on his knees between Michael's thighs carefully getting his weight right before taking off his shirt.

"Here?" Michael teases as though he doesn't already have his hands out stroking over his chest.

"Everywhere."

Michael's heart flutters again before he can reach for Alex's belt buckle, sweeping his thumb up his length through his jeans. Alex drops his head to watch him, lets him get as far as unbuttoning his jeans and sliding them down his thigh, then squeezes Michael's knees and braces on them to stand.

"Where are you going?"

"I'll get sand everywhere if I don't," Alex says, and Michael jumps up to help him, letting Alex balance on his arms as he strips and removes his prosthetic. Alex is bare to him, stood here in the middle of the desert, looking back at him with such trust and love that Michael's breath catches again. Alec strokes his fingertips over his chest and cups his face, drawing him into another kiss.

"Sit," Michael says, smacking a kiss to his cheek when Alex goes to pull back. Alex does as asked, stroking a hand up Michael's leg the second he is out of his jeans. Michael does his best to keep from kicking sand on to the blankets as he sinks back down, laughing when Alex once again gets him on his back.

Alex crawls back between his legs stroking his hands over Michael's inner thighs. He tilts his head to the side as he looks at him, taking Michael's hands when he reaches out.

"What?"

"Nothing," Alex says, toppling forward and arranging himself between Michael's thighs, bracing on his forearms. "Thank you for arranging all of this."

"You should see what I've got planned for tomorrow."

Alex smiles again, nosing at his jaw, beginning to stir his hips. "How can anything get better than this? Is there anything better than this?"

"Not really."

The light from the campfire dances across their skin to the side of their blanket. Alec's eyes as he stares back at him are filled with love. Michael strokes his hands down over his back to rest on his waist, adjusting his feet against the blanket. The night is theirs so there is no hurry as Michael begins to roll his hips up to meet him. Alex's thumbs play with the hair at his temple as they so often do when they are together like this.

Even their kisses are unhurried, pausing to smile, to study each other's faces when the pleasure building in them both is too much to do anything but moan for. Here in the middle of the desert their voices seem louder, which only adds to the heat building for Michael. The thought of them so exposed like this, so open to one another, puts an extra thrill in his core, which apparently Alex is aware of for the way he keeps glancing down between them with a teasing smile.

"You okay there?" Alex asks, lifting up enough to get his hand around them both. Michael groans for the tightness of his grip and reaches out to slot his fingers through, thrusting firmer into their joined hands. Their kisses become sloppier for it, desperate gasps blasting from their mouths the closer that they get. Alex spills over their hands first, Michael following in seconds for the blissed out look on Alex's face and the way his head falls back.

Alex drops his face into Michael's neck panting there in between tired kisses, before nuzzling against his throat. "Okay?" he asks, to which Michael can only lift his head to chase another kiss.

"I'm good."

"You're like a furnace," Alex teases slipping his hand out from between them and stretching over Michael as much as he can.

"You cold?"

"We're in the middle of the desert."

Michael grins for the look on his face, reaching out and snagging his fingers on his t-shirt strewn in the sand. He makes quick work of wiping them clean then flips Alex over, carefully cradling him in his arms. "How's that?"

Alex wriggles to get more comfortable, stretching out with the fire to his back. He hums as Michael runs his hands over him and shifts again so Michael knows to hug him. Michael kisses the thumb brushed over his lips in a familiar gesture, ducking to get a kiss to Alex's nose.

"Perfect."

"Not a bad way to end the day, right?"

"Who says it's ended?" Alex asks. "It's early. You need to feed me yet."

"Hungry?" Michael asks, dropping his hand to sweep over Alex's stomach. Their cooler is full of enough food to mean they can eat breakfast here tomorrow before setting off. But his limbs are the best kind of aching, and Michael is relieved to see that Alex also looks like he doesn't want to move.

"Soon."

"So, what are we gonna do until then, Alex?"

Alex smiles and lets out a soft sigh, pressing even firmer against him. "Just… be here. Talk. Whatever. I'm just… happy to be here. I'm glad that we're here."

Michael has to kiss him, whispering a, _me too_ against his mouth. Alex plays with his hair, and once again Michael gets lost in the softness of his touch, before he pulls back to give him a sleepy smile. Maybe they can sleep a while before they eat.

Michael watches as Alex drops his head to rest in the curve of his arm, and knows contentment like he's sure he never has.


End file.
